Return to the Labrynth
by Realist Ver1.01
Summary: Sarah was happy now, her life was back on track and everything was peachy. That was until the appearance of an old friend with a plea for help. Sarah must now return to the Labrynth, but to take on something much more sinister than Jareth - something dark
1. Conscripted

Disclaimer: Obviously all characters and events depicted in this story regarding the original movie "Labrynth" belong to Jim Henson, George Lucas and the gang. This story is not endorsed by any of them (obviously) and please don't copy : ) Thanks and enjoy...   
  
  
  
RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH   
  
- CHAPTER 1 -   
CONSCRIPTED   
  
  
"Through hardships untold, and dangers unnumbered I have fought my way here to the palace, beyond the goblin city..." Sarah was in the park again. Although it had been three years sinse her initial stint in the Labrynth she remembered every part of it; from the cold stillness of the oobliette to the rank smell of the 'bog of eternal stench' - it was both her blessing and curse to recall every detail. She often wondered such things as what if she went 'up' instead of 'down', or if Hoggle hadn't been sent to take her to the beginning but she dismissed these thoughts as they troubled her. She had lost sleep many times over such queries and although she was there when she defeated Jareth (obviously) there was always something not right, something seemed undone. Sinse her time she had always wanted to discover what this was, and today, she would wish she never would.   
  
The grand clock in the distance struck its chime. "Seven O'clock! Oh no!" Sarah started to sprint home just as the heavens opened and rain poured from the skies - she was soaked. The deepest feeling of de-ja-vou swept over her, but she brushed it aside. Finally she reached her house and hammered the door. Thump, thump, thump. Almost immediately her stepmother, Rose, answered it; "Sarah, are you o.k? Your drenched!"   
"Yeah, sorry mum, I got caught in the park again..."   
"Thats o.k hun, as long as you don't catch cold"   
"O.k, thats enough of this Brady Bunch moment" Sarah's father walked into the room, he was putting on his tie.   
"Where are you guys going?" Sarah inquires. "To that charity thing?"   
"Yes dear."   
"But I thought you had decided not to go."   
"Well, that was before your father found out that Zimmerman is going to be there!"   
"Whose Zimmerman?"   
"Thats what I said!"   
"Whose Zimmerman, whose Zimmerman? Hes the man thats gonna put my company on the map thats who. And we have to impress." Sarah's dad joined the conversation as he adjusted his jacket. "Thats why we are going to be early - c'mon honey"   
"Coming love" Rose obeyed. Within a minute they were out the door and off to their 'p.r' excercise. Sarah and Toby had the house to themselves, and Sarah smiled as she ran upstairs to tell him. "Toby, Toby" she called   
"Sarah?" she heard, it was coming from her room. She raced inside. Toby was there playing with his favourite teddy, Lancelot. "There you are! You wanna watch some cartoons huh? I got SpiderMan, your fav!"   
"No... Labrynth now" was the reply   
"Hm, you want to hear that story again? How may times its that?   
"Not too many"   
"Obviously... oh alright, sit on the bed. I'll go through it again. Once upon a time there was a beautiful, but misguided princess who..."   
Her story is cut off by a voice at her bedroom door, a familiar voice belonging to a much beloved friend; "Who must return to the Labrynth to save what she left behind" Sarah's head flicked up to confirm her thoughts on the voices owner. "HOGGLE" she screamed, elated to once again behold her smallest pal. She ran over to him and kissed him on the cheek. She stopped however when she saw that Hoggle was not so happy to be here, his meloncholy gaze hadn't changed since he'd arrived. "Hogggle." Sarah sounded more serious; "Whats the matter?"   
"When Jareth was the ruler, it wasn't so bad. He was a bastard sure, and he deserved everything he got but, but this new guy - I've never seen anything like it."   
"What new guy Hoggle? Hoggle what are you talking about?"   
"After you left our world was without a king so me, Ludo and the good sir set up kinda of a comittee, to look overeverything, but the kingdom to the north heard of Jareth's defeat and, and they attacked. We have been fighting them since you left, and now we have lost. Please Sarah, I don't know of anyone as powerful as you, you have to come back and save us!"   
"Oh Hoggle, of course I'll help! What can I do?"   
"You have to come back..." Suddenly the room melted away and Sarah stood on that all too familiar hilltop looking over the Labrynth, although things were different now - the castle was ablaze with fire and she could ever see it, sense it from here that the Labrynth was twisted, darker. How could she have abandonned them?   
  
To be continued...


	2. The journey begins...

RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH   
  
- CHAPTER 2 -   
THE JOURNEY BEGINS   
  
  
"Hoggle, Hoggle whats happened here? Whats happened to the Labrynth?" Sarah was worried, when she first came here she despised all it's twists and turns but now she could feel it suffering - as if if was a living entity. In the distance faint screams were heard, the sound of constant battle was all around them although nothing of it could be seen.   
"I couldn't rightly tell you Sarah, I don't know it all myself. Jareth would be the man for that.."   
Sarah cuts him off; "Jareth! Jareth is here! I tho... thought he was gone. I mean... whats going on? How could he be back?"   
"Sarah its alright, Jareth never left. When you and him were in the castle last, I don't know how you did it but you sapped his power somehow, hes been here sinse getting it back - though it isnt what it was. Like I said Jareth is mean, but he wasn't evil... not like this guy."   
Sarah freezes a moment, trying to take all of this in. How could Jareth be back? She thought he was gone. "You keep talking about theis new guy... who is he?" Sarah needed all the answers.   
"This land of the Labrynth is one of four that make up our world. We are the western land - the land mainly of magic and illusion. The land to the east is your world - the place of the real and concrete. The place to the north... well lets just say if hell has a place on earth... that'd be it. The land of chaos. This 'new guy' is Sojourn, he is the ruler of the north land, and now this one too. We didn't realise it until after you left but Jareth was the only thing that kept our worlds in balance - he kept Sojourn at arms length from 'ere and the portal closed to your world so he couldn't get to there."   
"Well, what about the land to the south? What of it?"   
"The land to the south is the land of order. With their help we could have prevented Sojourn's siege, but they are too obsessed with keeping themselves safe that they won't come 'ere to help. Thats why we needed you..."   
"I'll do what I can Hoggle."   
"I knew you would friend - you were my first and I would never pull you into this unless I knew we had no where else to go. I'm sorry"   
"Thats fine, believe me. If everything is as you say it is then I have no choise, this guy Sojourn would make his way to my world soon enough. Plus your right, you are my friend, and friends help each other. Now where to?"   
  
  
* * * * *   
  
It seemed as though they had been walking for days. The heat swirled around them - it was alot hotter than Sarah remembered it, even Hoggle seemed exausted. They hadn't entered the Labrynth yet... keeping to the outside travelling around. Hoggle told Sarah that what resistance they could muster was camped on the opposite side - there they would meet the good Sir, Ludo... and Jareth. She dreaded that meeting. She remembered when they last saw each other and when she defeated him. He seemed sad of course, though not how you would think. Sad more for her leaving than his falter. His kingdom was crashing around him and all she could see in his eyes was her, it seemed that everything else was nothing. A dagger of pity stabbed her in the stomach - quickly she dismissed her remorseful thoughts, she was intent on being stone faced when she met him. Although they were on the same side she would never befriend him. She thought of Toby back at home where she knew he was safe and what might have happened if Sarah hadn't been on time when first she was here. This gave her the power she needed to face Jareth, and that meeting was closing in on her as they rounded to the camp.   
  
To be continued...


	3. Old foes reunite

RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH   
  
- CHAPTER 3 -   
OLD FOES REUNITE   
  
  
It was night by the time they reached it. The camp wasn't really a camp, more a congestion of half built tents and hovels. Hoggle wandered through with Sarah close in tow. There were all kinds of creatures there.Goblins trained in a malformed yard while their commander screamed at them. They seemed alot more 'intune' than when last Sarah saw them. They no longer bungled or fell over. Their weapons were sharp and their senses keen - ready to kill and ready to die. Many already had battle scars and Sarah was left to wonder 'from where'. There were other dwarves around sharpening weapons or fixing turrets, the red folks who could remove their parts were there crounched around a fire chanting, or paraying, even the fairies were flying around the camp, training to make the ultimate sacrifice for their kingdom. Creatures Sarah had never dreamed of were seated around in places. What seemed to be goblin children huddled around a familiar two headed story teller. A wise old head told the story of a princess who visited their land years ago, with a wise talking 'ostrich' like second head making the occasional comment, much to the dismay of the storyteller. They both smiled at Sarah as she walked past. The place was abuzz with activity. Finally Hoggle led Sarah to the centre of camp where a huge tent had been erected. Out the front two shields stood, each with two dog-like creatures behind it, one right side up, one upside down.   
"None shall pass" the blue one said   
"Oh what a lie" said the red one. "Thats Hoggle and Sarah! They may enter of course. Come in, come in!"   
"No they can't enter and no they won't" suggested blue   
Sarah and Hoggle just puched past into the tent.   
"Told you..." the blue remarked.   
The tent was dark, lit only by a few torches.   
"Wait here" Hoggle commanded. "I'll go get the guys"   
He hobbled off and Sarah waited for a few minutes, then a voice.   
"Hello Sarah"   
It gave her chills. She knew its owner right away. Conflicting emotions erupted inside of her. Sorrow, happiness, remorse, elation, anger, lo... no. Sarah calmed herself and turned around. Surely enough Jareth stood there dressed as lavishly as always - but through this illusion Sarah could still make out his weakness.   
"You came..."   
"Of course I didn my friends were in touble"   
"I thought given our past history.."   
"You thought wrong Jareth! I am not here to see you, I'm here to help my friends. You are an uneeded consequence."   
"Sarah please forg..."   
"Don't... don't ask me for anything. Especially that because you will never get it. Now that I'm here I will seek to take this monster off his throne and don't think that just because your in this camp that I will replace him with another."   
Jareth looked to the ground. Usually it was him with all the words, now however he had nothing to say. As Sarah looked at him her stone face that she worked for crumbled adn she was about to speak again but Hoggle re-entered the room with Ludo and Sir in tow.   
"Ludo! Sir! Your here!" She ran up and hugged them both. She was crying, partly because she has reunited with her lost friends and partly because of the memories they muster, so much more real now than in her mind. Jareth looked on, his neutral dace unchanging. Sir yelped with delight.   
"Good fair maiden! You have returned to deliver us from evil!"   
"I'll sure try Sir." Sarah turned to Ludo. "What about you huh? Got anything to say?"   
Ludo just looked at her. His eyes were wet with tears but none could flow over the orange, matted fur.   
"Ludo was defending the Goblin city when it fell, he was captured by the enemy. To prevent him from calling any more rocks they cut ou... removed his tounge.." Hoggle spat out, despite his bluntness Sarah could see that he was almost overcome. Sarah turned back to Ludo and hugged him.   
"Oh Ludo! What have they done to you. You poor creature" Sarah hugged him tighter. Only Ludo would ever know of what happened that night in the Goblin city, what he had seen, what they had done. Sure his tongue was gone but what his soul had partially lost was so much dearer - his humanity.   
  
To be continued...


	4. Surprise

RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH   
  
- CHAPTER 4 -   
SURPRISE   
  
"We're under attack!" The red shield yelled from outside the tent. All five characters inside looked to the door in dismay.   
"No we're not..." replied the blue shield. A sudden explosion heard from outside revealed who was telling the truth. Our heroes ran outside. Sarah couldn't believe what she saw, hundreds of 'troops' ran from the walls of the Labyrinth towards the camp. These creatures were stranger than anything Sarah had seen yet. They were merely armour with no bodies inside, the gaps left were encompassed with fire as if the flame took the place of the flesh. These fire knights sprinted towards them at full speed, swords drawn. Jareth immediately sprang into action.   
"Raise the catapaults! Organise the troops! Send out the first wave! Good God lets give them what for!"   
All that he said was done. Within seconds balls of fire were being flung out into the advancing army taking many out, their armour being shattered to the winds never to be brought back together. BOOM! CRASH! BANG! Soon however they had moved beyond minimal range and were closing in. The first wave of Goblin soldiers was let loose upon the enemy.   
"Gyyaaaaaaahhhh" They screamed their war cry and ran into battle. Slice, cut, dagger, clang, shield, blow. The battle was ferocious. The goblins seemed to be being beaten back. Sarah felt hopeless, she was about to run into the fray but Hoggle held her back. Jareth spoke again; "Ludo, now! We need your army."   
Ludo howled into the sky, Sarah was amazed.   
"Hoggle, I thought he couldn't howl anymore"   
"Oh he can howl - it wasn't his tongue that let him howl, the enemy had it wrong. But... but you'll see the rocks aren't the same..."   
Hoggle was right. Sure enough stones of all shapes and sizes started to roll onto the battlefield but they didn't mow the enemy down, instead they started to group together. Before her eyes Sarah saw them connect and hold onto each other. With the battle raging around them they formed themselves into eight huge, stone soldiers. Humanoid in shape like golems of the earth. THUMP! They started the wollop the enemy. THOMP, THENK, THUMP, THUMP! The fire knights went flying before these massive goliaths. While Sarah was glad that the tables had turned, there was something brutal about the creatures, like they were enjoying the slaughter. She looked at Ludo who himself was getting a little excited, smiling to himself, lathering at the mouth. Suddenly he couldn't contain himself and he ran into battle. Being a huge beast himself he was knocking the enemy around, bashing them against trees, pulling them apart, Sarah couldn't watch. Ludo seemed animalistic, he was going berserk. His stint in the enemy camp has truely claimed more than his audible capabilities. Goblin carcasses were strewn across the ground, black armour from the kights was scattered everywhere. The battle lasted hours with the enemy able to push to the edges of the camp, but not in. Finally everything quietened down. The stone golems crumbled to the ground and Ludo started to settle down. The Goblin troops slowly made their way back to camp, blood spattered their clothes and armour. There was a terrible silence and Sarah knew it wasn't over.   
"What were those things?"   
"Scouts" replied Hoggle   
"Scouts?" Sarah repeated. "Those were only scouts!?"   
"Yes"   
"How do you expect to beat them. If you just survive scouts what happens when they send in their bigger artillery?" Sarah was hysterial, but two words from Jareth quietened her;   
"We die..."


	5. Aftermaths

RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH   
  
- CHAPTER 5 -   
AFTERMATH   
  
The battle had been over for hours. All were getting things back together. Sarah strode through the battle field looking at the dead and helping the wounded as best she could - although there weren't many of them. Those 'scouts' knew what they were doing. Hoarders wandered around picking up what they could, placing it on their back and running off with it.   
"This is not junk!" They would exclaim. They made Sarah sick.   
By accident she stumbled across Jareth, who was looking out into the Labyrinth.   
"Why didn't you get onto the battlefield and help them? Why didn't you..."   
"Why didn't I what Sarah? Get scured by a scout, severed by an axe or maybe crushed by one of Ludo's stone soldiers? Right now I am about as powerful as you. All I can give to these people is my knowledge of the northlanders. And that I am afraid is limited."   
"Where is your power Jareth? You were so powerful when I was last here."   
"Where is it? Where is it!?" His voice got louder. "You of all people should know where it is"   
A short silence ensued, finally he spoke again; "Why, its with you Sarah. Before you came here I was the most powerful being on this world. Then the more you were here the more my magic was eaten away. Now I am nothing and I have to watch my kingdom be destroyed."   
"Oh, like you care"   
At this remark by Sarah, Jareth became enraged.   
"I care more than you could ever know Sarah! I wasn't always how I was when you knew me, you have a bit of magic of your own you know, for you bewitched me. When I first saw your vision in one of my crystals I was... I was overcome. I knew you could never love me, but I wanted you so much, so I took your brother, knowing you would follow. I was just hoping you would stay too. When you left I was weakened, my power comes through my confidence Sarah and the more I realized you would never love me the more my confidence drained. Now I am nothing. Before you came my kingdom was great, I was great. You are more a bane on this land than Sojourn could ever be! Now leave me!" With this he stormed off leaving Sarah alone. Tears welled in her eyes and she broke down. Falling to the ground she cupped her face with her hands. She wept openly.   
"It's alright Sarah, there there..." Hoggle had come up from behind her. "Alot has changed sinse you have left, but Jareth never will."   
"Are you kidding me? He has changed more than anything"   
"Maybe on the outside, but what he feels for you will never change. He speaks the truth you know. Jareth ruled with an iron fist before you came, none were aloud to break the rules and if they did they were sent to the oobliette and forgotten about. But he kept everything together and his laws were generally right. Sure I was scared of him, everyone was but we didn't know how much we needed him until he left."   
"So what!? What, I should make myself love him just because he loves me?" She still cried.   
"No, in fact I don't think you need you at all. Look to yourself to see what you should do."   
For a minute or two they sat there together in silence. Sarah was running over all that had happened since she was back. She wanted to change the subject.   
"Whats happened to Ludo?" She asked. Hoggle sighed, he knew this question was coming and he didn't wan't to answer it.   
"After his time with the enemy he was never the same. Generally he is alright, but when he has a chance to kill something.... he ... he just seems to feel that for everything he kills he gets something back, when he really looses something more. His rock ilk get more powerful as he slips further and further into the berserk."   
Sarah just kept on crying. This world was darker than it had ever been. She thought she despised how it was but she knows now thats it's beauty she took for granted, like so many other things. She and Hoggle sat there for hours looking into the Labyrinth.   
"Hoggle?"   
"Yes Sarah?"   
"I mean, I know the answer, but I want to hear it anyways... it's not over is it?"   
"No dear, not by a long way. What you have seen is nothing comapred to what is there. Tomorrow we are going in."


	6. Enter

RETURN TO THE LABRYNTH  
  
-CHAPTER 6- ENTER  
  
A fiery dawn rose over the Labyrinth, matched only by the blaze of the castle at its centre. Sarah and her small troop had already left, heading for the Labyrinth walls. Jareth led followed by Hoggle, Sarah, a fiery, 3 Goblin soldiers, and finally Ludo with fairies buzzing around all their heads - Sir Didymous had stayed behind to order the survivors. The camp had become mobile and had moved further away from the Labyrinth earlier that morning, although Sarah knew that if they failed now then there would be no- where they could hide. She occasionally glanced back at the creature behind her - no longer did it laugh and dance as it did when she met it last. Now a scowl encompassed it's face and a scar ran across it's cheek. It had a necklace and belt from which hung an assortment of bottles and potions - Sarah could only guess what for. When they reached the labyrinth wall Jareth moved up to it and placed his hand on its surface, a huge door opened as a result and as he entered Sarah swore she heard the walls sigh in relief. When the whole party was in the doors closed behind them and they were in that familiar long corridor.  
  
It seemed as though they had been walking for hours, Jareth knowing exactly which way to go to avoid enemy troops, but they could only hide for so long. They rounded a hedge and a small enemy party stood in their way. In this party Sarah recognised three scouts as she had seen them before, however there were two larger versions and one last one at least as big as Ludo. They all sported the same flame for flesh and armoury. Ludo charged right into action sprinting into battle, he ran into the fray throwing aside the three smaller ones and tackling the large one. All the others turned to our party and the battle was on. One of the larger ones charged Sarah but the fiery leapt in the in the way and discharged one of his bottles into the creatures helmet, it exploded on impact and the creatures stepped back. Its blade however continued on its path and severed the fiery's hand, but it just reattached it and kept of fighting. Another canister of explosives and the fiery soldier went tumbling over. As it fell the fiery took a moment and sat down to pray. Meanwhile the goblins went to work on the scouts, however they were hopelessly out skilled. Jareth was weaving his magic on the other medium sized opponent, literally. Numerous times the monster swung his sword at Jareth only to his air or Jareth's cloak. Finally Jareth connected with his fist to the helmet of his attacker - Sarah wouldn't have imagined she would see Jareth use his fists to fight. Suddenly he pulled a small crystal sphere as if from no-where, it transformed into shawl and he threw it over his enemy and it disappeared as if it was never there. Jareth was stunned though because of the use of his dwindling power, then as if out of nowhere Ludo flew through the air, straight into him, knocking him over. 'Jareth!' Sarah cried, then afterwards wishing she didn't. Both Jareth and Ludo were out cold, Ludo being the worse off. At this time the last goblin soldier was slain by the two remaining scouts and the large monster that Ludo has sought to best lumbered toward them. It raised its blade high above its head ready to end Sarah's life, but before it could be brought down an arrow shot through its head. Un-phased it turned toward its assassin, before it could move however a larger winged man swooped from the air and tackled him to the ground before plunging a sword into its chest. The two remaining scouts ran at Hoggle who was with Sarah the whole battle, but they too were slain but now but an onslaught of arrows. Sarah looked up to the source of their saviours. Two winged men with bow in hand hovered in mid air. They were dressed in a mixture of robes and armour, with hoods that covered their faces leaving their visage in shadow. Sarah was stunned, speechless. The first one climbed off of the burning corpse of his victim and walked over to her. He looked the same as the others, only his armour was gold and his wings were larger. "Am I to presume that you are Sarah?" Sarah didn't answer. "Sarah, from the eastern land?" Hoggle stepped forward when Sarah still remained silent. "Yes, she is. And who are you? You aren't here to cause trouble are you?" "No, we are warriors of the Southern world - here to serve you in your quest Queen Sarah." Sarah looked at this. being that just saved her life. He looked like an angel clad in armour and wielding a blade. Although she did not know them, she did know her mission was safer with them, with him around. 


End file.
